4 minute read
Entomological oddity
Chora sp
DR DAVID RENTZ AM
The Cattana Wetlands nocturnal adventure, organised as a part of the Friends of the Botanic Gardens events, was a successful night with about 35 participants looking everywhere for animals and plants large and small. In the large category a 2m crocodile was spotted in one of the ponds. A Tube-nosed Bat was observed and photographed along with a number of frogs, lizards, spiders and insects. A light-sheet was set up at one of the picnic areas and people milled about taking photos and observing arrivals at the sheets. Not far from the light sheet, Chora (pictured above) was found on a leaf. At fi rst glance it appears to be a snail, shell and neck outstretched. But look carefully. You can easily see legs! Of course, a snail would not have ‘legs’. And, the snail motif further confuses because where you think the head is, it is actually the tail! The pair of protuberances near the end of the caterpillar actually look like the eyestalks of a snail. The head is under the bubble (which actually emerges from the thorax) to the left. So what is going on here? Is it just an allusion that we think we can see a snail on the leaf? Or would this be an adaptation to deceive a predator that might otherwise prey on a caterpillar? And what about creatures that might want to dine on a snail? Or is the balloon serving some other purpose? Who knows? All conjecture but some careful observation may unravel the mystery. Chora is a member of the moth family Nolidae. Moths in this family were previously placed in the large family Noctuidae (cutworms and fruit moths) but as is the tendency these days, they were split off and given a family all their own. Now the Nolidae includes three subfamilies with about 170 species in Australia. Once you learn what the moths look like, you can distinguish nolids from most noctuids. Have a look at Buck Richardson’s site: http://www.leapfrogoz. com.au/moths-of-tropical-queensland-australia/ moth-identifi cation/nolidae.html to see the range of forms in the Nolidae. We are a bit uncertain as to the species that Chora represents. One would have to rear the caterpillar to maturity and then attempt to identify the resultant moth. If folks who attended the night and have photos of interest they would like to share, they can send them to me for potential inclusion in the Cattana Wetlands Album featuring hightlights of the night https://www.fl ickr.com/photos/naturenoises/
Lymantriid caterpillar Epacra Tube-nosed Bat
Kim Badcock, Engagement Offi cer with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, was our guest speaker for the fi rst Volunteers Information Session for 2021, speaking on four particular invasive weeds.
As a follow up to Kim’s presentation, here is some information on how to support the prevention of weed invasion in Queensland.
Weed Spotters Network Queensland
The Weed Spotters Network Queensland is a joint initiative of the Queensland Department of Environment and Science and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. It is a community-based weed alert program. Participants help to fi nd, identify and document new occurrances of potential and existing weeds at an early stage so that appropriate action can be taken. There are approximately 1400 naturalised plant species in Queensland with an average of 12 new weeds becoming established each year. Almost 10 per cent of these naturalised species are declared invasive plants under the Biosecurity Act 2014. The cost of weed management to Australian agriculture exceeds $4billion per year, with further costs to the environment. Prevention and early intervention are the most cost eff ective means of dealing with potential, new and emerging weeds in Queensland.
What do weed spotters do?
Weed spotters locate, collect and identify weeds in their local region with assistance from their regional coordinators. Specimens of potential, new and emerging weeds are then sent to the Queensland Herbarium for identifi cation and databasing. Network members also provide location data on where weeds occur, leading to a better understanding of how far and how quickly they are spreading. This information is crucial for developing early response strategies and for the ongoing control and containment of established weeds. Weed spotters are provided with training in weed recognition and plant collecting techniques to assist with this work. To register your interest with the Weed Spotters Network Queensland, contact the regional coordinator, Stephen McKenna Stephen.McKenna@agriculture.gov.au or phone 0472 823 932.
Awesome Weeds
KIM BADCOCK
Engagement O cer Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
14 APRIL 2021
BOTANIC GARDENS VISITOR CENTRE 6PM
Members $5 Non-members $10 RSVP secretary@botanicfriendscairns.org.au (limited numbers of 40)
